Most Important Question in Chemistry

Can adding toxic chemicals to the natural selection environment influence the course of evolution?

Evolution  of life on earth and the marvelous biodiversity we enjoy all around us, happened in an environment with a natural mix of organic and inorganic chemicals. We know that evolution has a number of steps. There is mutation which helps create variety in genes, and then there is natural selection by the environment which selects the best genes for that environment. Together they create species and drive evolution.

Much has changed due to chemistry. The environment is full of new mutagens made by chemistry. Pulp mills alone crank out hundreds of mutagenic, endocrine disrupting and carcinogenic chemicals by the ton each and there are hundreds of pulp mills around the world. This pollution permeates the natural environment of the entire planet. Pulp mills are but one of a myriad of sources of pollutants. There are coal and nuclear energy industries, hydrocarbon, pesticide, plastics, paint and chemical industries and myriad more. Mutation is affected in all living things by the gunk we generate and distribute. 

So what happens to mutation and its grand wonderful time tested scheme? Frankengenes happen. What happens to the environment that does the natural selection? Frankenvironments happen. What does all this bode for evolution? Frankenbeasts like Vince Weiguang Li, the Greyhound beheader who ate his victim.

Is this a question? No. The most important question in chemistry is can all this alteration and adulteration of the natural selection environment of chemically balanced nature change (It took a billion+ years to develop and 200 years to destroy) the direction and rate of evolution and affect the species biodiversity of planet earth and its ecosystem dynamics and the destiny of life on earth?

Jormawankenobe

© 2008 J. Jyrkkanen